This invention relates to ornamental face masks and, more particularly, to face masks in which a jaw section is articulately connected to the rest of the mask.
Face masks are used in connection with costumes in theatrical productions, for masquerade parties, on Halloween and like occasions. These masks are typically made of thin flexible plastic material or paper stock and are designed to appear as the face of some well known or bizarre character.
In order to give a more life-like appearance to the mask it is known to provide a hinged lower jaw for the mask, which jaw moves with the jaw of the wearer such as when he speaks. In U.S. Pat. No. 626,799 to T. A. Walton, the lower jaw of the mask is hinged to the main part of the face by a pair of eyelets located at the opposite sides of the mask. Elastic straps bridging the two sections of the mask at locations adjacent both sides of the mouth keep the jaw in a closed position even when people with different size jaws wear it. The mask disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,148 to A. Grossberg has an articulated jaw section including a pair of eyelets located respectively on the face and jaw sections on each side of the mask. An elongated slide bridges each pair of eyelets and permits the articulated lower jaw section to slide up and down with respect to the rest of the mask. An elastic band couples each pair of eyelets to urge the jaw toward its closed position and enable its motion to follow that of the wearer.
While the eyelets and elastic straps of the Walton mask or the eyelets, elongated slides and elastic bands of the Grossberg mask do provide a mask in which the lower jaw moves while the wearer talks, these prior art expedients have proved to be expensive both in the cost of materials and in manufacturing time. Moreover, the restraints on movement imposed by the fixed eyelet pivot of the Walton mask and the rigid slide of the Grossberg mask can cause discomfort and lack of realism, especially when the mask size does not correspond closely to that of the wearer's face.